"The loss of Whitney Houston is painful. I remember meeting Whitney for the first time when I was 15. She was the ultimate legend. The ultimate woman. Not only was she confident, poised, stunningly beautiful and intelligent, but she was sincere and kind. She took the time to make everyone feel like they were very important to her. I, like every singer, always wanted to be just like her. Her voice was perfect. Strong but soothing. Soulful and classic. Her vibrato, her cadence, her control. So many of my life's memories are attached to a Whitney Houston song. She is our queen and she opened doors and provided a blueprint for all of us.

Beyoncé 101? Beyonce –singer, actress, new mother, fashion designer, L'Oreal pitchwoman- is the subject of lecturer Kevin Allred's new course, dubbed "Politicizing Beyoncé." The course is part of the Rutgers University's Women's and Gender Studies curriculum. Rutgers is a New Jersey institution, in case you din't know.

The class offers students the chance to watch Bey's music videos and explore how both her image and music have impacted and changed the world.

The course is as described as follows on the school's website: "The performer's music and career are used as lenses to explore American race, gender, and sexual politics… Course topics include the extent of Beyoncé's control over her own aesthetic, whether her often half-naked body is empowered or stereotypical, and her more racy performances as her alter ego, Sasha Fierce." Sounds interesting, doesn't it?

The course includes class discussions which will "often lead to other vocalists, including Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Lady Gaga, and contemporary musicians who embrace the soul singing tradition like Adele and the late Amy Winehouse." So it's all about the divas, but focuses on Bey.

Billboard found something else that Irving Azoff, executive chairman of Live Nation, can sit atop: In the January 28 issue of the magazine, Billboard unveils the Power 100, a ranking of the most powerful people in the music business.

Azoff's position on the Power 100 reflects a general trend in power, away from record labels and over to the management and touring side of the business. Of the 100 slots, 23 were filled by those in management or the touring business, compared to 21 record labels.

"Ultimately the artists are in control," noted one top entertainment attorney, speaking in consultation to the creation of the list. "So whoever most influences the artist has the power. But the label role has diminished as they no longer can provide the established artists with as much cash as they used to."

Rankings were determined by a combination of key factors including market share, exclusive Billboard chart data/boxscore information, and revenue. A team of 15 top Billboard editors then analyzed the value of these metrics to produce the final results. The list is U.S. based. As well, the Power 100 puts a premium on the top decision makers at each company. So, for example, the strong position of Interscope's Jimmy Iovine's is an argument against a high position for the number-two at that company, Steve Berman, who still makes the list.

The list boasts six artists, each of whom cracked the business ranking for specific reasons. "We couldn't weigh the power of an artist's fanbase against the power an executive has, or this would have simply been an artist list," says Bill Werde, Billboard's editorial director. "Our Moneymakers list is our artist list. But certain artists were able to break through to the Power 100 based purely on their business success or innovations."

Artists on the Power 100 include Jay-Z and Beyonce as a power couple, Taylor Swift, U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga.

The rapidly changing music business is represented by the diversity of the remaining slots on the Power 100. There are 10 executives in television or movies (who either book artists or curate music for their productions); nine radio-industry executives and seven music-publishing executives (eight, including David Israelite of the National Music Publishers Association).

The list also includes executives from six digital service providers, from webcasters like Pandora to digital download stores like iTunes; five companies that use music for branding purposes and provide tour and artist sponsorship opportunities like Coca Cola, Chevrolet and AMEX; and five trade groups, like the RIAA and A2IM. There are also four lawyers, and two venture capitalists who invest in music-related companies.

Azoff's placement at the top of the list is due to his command of the biggest concert-promotion company, the largest ticketing company and the largest artist-management firm in the world. Since live performances are the main revenue source for artists, the touring industry is well represented on the list.

In the year ended 2010, Live Nation posted sales of $5.06 billion in revenue, up 21% from the prior year's total of $4.2 billion. That increase is almost entirely due to the merger with Ticketmaster that brought Azoff -- a veteran music industry executive with a long resume that includes running major record labels and artist-management firms -- into the company. But in 2011, going up against the merger numbers, Live Nation is still up 9.75% to $4.2 billion, up another 9.75% from $3.83 billion.

Azoff's power reflects the changing dynamic in the music business. As he said in the Q&A that appears in the issue, "It's all about the artist and those they empower to execute their business plans."

It’s the idea of entertainer Marcus Mitchell, CEO of Maryland-based Armdeonce Ventures, and his business partner, Steve White, the TV station said.

If these guys get their way, the singing, dancing, “bootylicious” diva could be right back here in Houston for good…

“We wanted to construct, like, a massive hall so as the doors open, if you donated to the monument, you’ll have a separate nameplate,” Marcus said. “There will be clips of Beyonce with Destiny’s Child and wardrobe like a mini museum.”

The pair, who are looking for private donors, would like to unveil the monument on Sept. 4, Beyonce’s birthday, the station reported.

"This is a huge loss. Etta James was one of the greatest vocalists of our time. I am so fortunate to have met such a queen. Her musical contributions will last a lifetime. Playing Etta James taught me so much about myself, and singing her music inspired me to be a stronger artist. When she effortlessly opened her mouth, you could hear her pain and triumph. Her deeply emotional way of delivering a song told her story with no filter. She was fearless, and had guts. She will be missed."